Calystegia subacaulis
Hill morning glory
(c) D Defreese, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Calystegia subacaulis (Hill morning glory) is a native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family, recognized by short non-climbing stems.
Hill morning glory is a California native perennial found in coastal and interior mountain regions in grassy or rocky habitats. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white or cream flowers with delicate pink or purple tints, 3 to 6 centimeters long. Growing with decumbent or ascending stems 2 to 20 centimeters tall, it emerges from a woody underground caudex and is slightly hairy. Its triangular-hastate leaves are 3 to 4 centimeters long with small backward-directed lobes and a tapered base ending in an acute to rounded tip. The plant's distinctive bracts partially hide the flower's calyx and measure 7 to 17 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; key feature is short non-climbing stems
Habitat and range
California counties: Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Lake, Colusa, Marin, Alameda, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, Mendocino, San Benito, Solano, Santa Cruz
How to tell it apart
vs Convolvulus: Convolvulus has smaller flowers with sharply pointed stigma lobes; Calystegia stigma lobes are blunt.; vs Ipomoea: Ipomoea stigma is a single rounded knob; Calystegia stigma has two distinct flattened lobes.; vs Datura: Datura flowers are upright with pleated edges; Calystegia flowers are smooth funnels.; vs Abronia: Abronia has clusters of small tubular flowers; Calystegia has single large funnel flowers.; vs Oenothera: Oenothera has four separate petals; Calystegia petals are fused into continuous funnel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calystegia subacaulis native to California?
Yes. Calystegia subacaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Calystegia subacaulis grow?
Calystegia subacaulis occurs in Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Lake, Colusa, Marin and other counties.
What plant family does Calystegia subacaulis belong to?
Calystegia subacaulis is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Calystegia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Calystegia subacaulis subsp. episcopalis — Cambria morning-glory
- Calystegia subacaulis subsp. subacaulis
- Calystegia vanzuukiae — Van Zuuk's morning-glory
- Calystegia atriplicifolia subsp. buttensis — Butte county morning-glory
- Calystegia collina — Coast range false bindweed
- Calystegia collina subsp. collina
- Convolvulaceae sp. — Morning-glory family
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.